The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1887-03-11

and delicately browGed turkey, and
a host OF other things of which he
was inortlinatcly fond. AS MrS.
March WIS pleading with him to
stay, at least, for dinner. Ben
made his appearance, looking very
bright and handsome. Taken by
surprise, Father Henderson had
shaken hands with Ben before he
remembered that he had determin
ed to set his face against him and
all his d0lngS. "ItS long time
since you've been so neighborly
sir" he said in a hearty way, "and
as dinner is ready, you'll come in
and eat some o. Gi, '5-cAicken PIE,
She can't be beat on that"
"Ben March," he answered with
assumed dignity: "Ive told Your
Dother that Pm ready to ride"
"See here, Father Henderson,
Pun not going to have you make
yourself sick. This is your dinner
time, and you've got five good
miles to ride. Fly hasn't finished
her corn yet, and you'll be uone the
worse for listening to the foolish
talk of us young people while you
eat your dinner"
A few minutes later Father Hen
derson had the chicken pie in his
plate, and amid the laughter and
jokes OF the young people, and in
the enjoyment OF the eAcellent
dishes, he forgot that The devil was
lurking in every corner OF Mrs.
March's house, according to his
belief.
TO ride after a hearty meal was
out of the question, so urged the
mischievons Ben, who settled the
old man comfortably in rocking
chair, filed his pipe and left him to
his digestion. Meanwhile Fly had
been given perfect liberty to dc
as she pleased, and he set out al
once for home. 1t was near
O'clock When the guests commenced
to arrive, first, the bride Lorena.
aud then carriages full of merry
girls, laughing aud talking like so
many magpieS. Young men rode
after them 10 alight, buggies aud
Wagons came one after the other;
lightwood blazed OH the stands, the
candles were lighted, and, at last
the scrape of Tommy Browns fiddle
bow announced. that the dancing
was about to commence. Father
Henderson started from his heavy
sIumbcr with a mitigated sense OF
having reached certain place
from which all his life he had been
praying to be delivered. Had all
these prayers gone for nothing :
Ben had been watching the old
man, and now, at sight of his be
wildermrnt and terror, he felt a
pang OF cOmpunction. awe didn't
like to wake YOU, sir, until you had
your II ip out"
Father Henderson was rapidly
recovering his usral self possession,
and an ominous frown had gather
ed between his shaggy eyeb. Ows.
He gave one scathing glance at
the scene around him. Never was
such a brilliant, jigglng, vanity
fair aud there sat the arch Offend
er, Tommy Brown, in the full dash
of the Virginia reel. Father Hen
derson actually trembled and
grasped the back of his chair as he
caught the merry eyes of the id-
dler fixed upon him. A suspicion
was aroused in the old mans dull
mind, and suspicion grows most
rapidly when least wanted. "Ben
March," he called "where'S Ben
March u
Ben was pushed forward by the
laughing girls to meet Father Hen
derson's wrathtul eyes. "Young
man, I've fallen into snare. Have
my mare saddled. This h no place
for me-" He sat down again with
his back turned 10 the company.
His selflove was wounded. What |
would be said ofhiIn I How could
be sit in meeting and face his
brethren-he, the oldest OF them
all. His example had been a shin
ing lisIIt-his exhibitions against |
carnal pleasures, we're the terror of |
al the young people, and here was
be locker on-an actual partici
pant in all this sin aud folly. Aud |
now with keen remorse be remem-
Dered bow all this come about.
rhe devil had tempted him to eat
aud he did eat. The responsibility |
,f bis weakness seemed to grow a
ittlo lighter when laid at the door
)f his enemy but even this Temporal
n sOlace' was taken irDm him at |
thought of his wife. She would |
leclare to the end of her life that
he had stayed for Widow March's
she knew.his weakness for
.he crisp, brown sucking pig, that
would be sure TO be on the table.
rhe old man groaned aloud. "By
George p exclaimed Ben to a group
1f young people gathered about
hin. 81 wish I'd let tue old fellow
20 home. Thers'll be an awful row
v hen be hears that fly has played
lim one OF her scurvey tricks, iand
70 there was. Father Henderson
wore an oath. The words fell like
, thunder clap upon poor Mrs.
March. She crept timidly up to
lin, intending 10 take the blame
4 everything upOn herself; but
he old mans wrath silenced her.
''Get me my hat, he cried, "some
f you who amt . cutting pigep |